Hectronic's Success Story in Interlaken Continues With Another HecSpot Project

In urban areas especially, the parking search traffic has increased enormously in recent years as demand is usually higher than the parking options available. Not all are drivers inconvenienced, the resulting and increasing environmental and noise pollution also has negative effects on residents, visitors, and retailers. Hectronic's cloud-based surveillance system HecSpot, eleminates traffic problems caused by parking search traffic. This very technology is currently applied in Interlaken, Switzerland; in particular for tourist coaches, the real-time information of the system provides the decisive advantage.

The functional principle of HecSpot is easy to explain: Following a customized picture interval surveillance cameras or sensors generate the database for the system by sending snapshots to a cloud-based server. Using an algorithm, the data are processed on this server and transmitted to the Hectronic management software, CityLine. The cross-platform management software CityLine supplements the performance spectrum of the surveillance system HecSpot and allows for efficient parking management. The software is easy and intuitive to use, no matter if in classical mode at the PC or whilst traveling with a tablet or smartphone. Free and occupied parking spaces are identified and their parking time is shown. Areas with no-parking zones can also be specifically monitored and notified. Utilizing different statistical methods and based on the given situation it is possible to evaluate the utilization, parking time and incoming as well as outgoing vehicles. Furthermore, the availability of the end devices in the field is monitored in real-time and visualized for the lucid workplace in the management software CityLine. Each warning or error message is shown without delay and, if necessary, transmitted to the service staff. A further application scenario offers an interface that allows for data communication with third-party systems. This connection makes it possible to transmit the parking space occupancy to parking space information displays, traffic guidance systems or apps. The congestion of parking spaces can thus be prevented while parking search traffic can be redirected and reduced.

As one of the major tourist centers of the Bernese Oberland, the municipality of Interlaken not only welcomes Swiss day trippers but also travelers from all over Europe and Asia. Asian guests usually enter the small city by coach. Due to the high number of visitors, one out of seven coach parking areas has been surveyed by the system HecSpot since autumn 2018.

As a follow-up project, a further coach parking area for short-time parking directly at the railway station east will now be equipped with HecSpot. The municipality of Interlaken and the Hectronic team have discussed the requirements beforehand in great detail to be able to develop an optimum and individual solution for the current situation directly at the station east. The limited number of spaces, an insufficient shunting area and access via a one-way street make it necessary to register the utilization of both parking areas and to transmit this information to a temporary prohibition sign at the entrance to the car park. If all spaces are occupied the LED-signal lights up and signals the coach driver at an early stage to avoid the car park.

As the team of the municipality of Interlaken already uses the management software CityLine intensively the extension by additional cameras for a further coach parking area could be realized easily. Furthermore, a parking ticket machine Citea with parking space entry is used in the short-term parking space. Comparing information from the parking ticket machine and from the cameras allows operators to determine which users have exceeded the parking time or do not even have a valid ticket. This information is available to the controlling bodies in real-time on their smartphones. Respective measures can be initiated and recorded immediately. For Interlaken the parking situation around the station has significantly improved; both day-trippers and overnight guests can now arrive in a relaxed way and enjoy the Swiss mountains.

"Due to the entirely positive experience both with HecSpot and the software CityLine in recent months, it was clear for us to rely on technology from Hectronic again at the station east. The installation and set up was as quick and easy as usual, and overall we are very satisfied with the individual solution which is tailor-made for our special situation." – Hans Peter Bühlmann, Police Inspector, Safety Department Municipality of Interlaken

About Hectronic GmbH 

Hectronic GmbH is based in Bonndorf in the Black Forest, Germany. The company specializes in developing intelligent system solutions for the parking and refueling sector. Since the foundation of the original company Kienzle, in 1928, Hectronic has developed into an industrial company with operations in many countries. With about 300 staff, 7 sales subsidiaries and around 70 international sales partners around the globe, Hectronic solutions are now successfully marketed all over the world.